This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tangkijvanich, P. Articles by Mutirangura, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tangkijvanich, P. Articles by Mutirangura, A.

Telomerase Assay for Differentiating between Malignancy-related and Nonmalignant Ascites¹

Departments of Biochemistry [P. T.], Obstetrics and Gynecology [D. T.], and Pathology [P. S.], Genetics Unit, Department of Anatomy [S. S., A. M.], Medical Oncology Unit [N. V.], and Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Medicine [V. M.], Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

The differential diagnosis between malignancy-related ascites (MRAs) and nonmalignant ascites (NMAs) has remained an essential problem in clinical practice. Our purpose was to determine the diagnostic value of ascitic fluid telomerase activity in discriminating these two categories compared with that of cytological examination. Twenty-five MRAs and 47 NMAs as the control group were enrolled in our study. In the MRA group, telomerase activity was detected in 13 of 16 (81.3%) cases of peritoneal carcinomatosis and in 6 of 9 (66.7%) cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-associated ascites. Contrasting that, cytological examination was positive in only 9 of 16 (56.3%) and 1 of 9 (11.1%) cases, respectively. In the NMA group, telomerase-positive ascitic fluid samples were found in 2 of 47 (4.3%) cases, all belonging to subgroups that contained large numbers of lymphocytes in the ascites. In our study, the telomerase activity and cytological examination exhibited a sensitivity of 76% and 40% and a specificity of 95.7% and 100%, respectively. Regarding subgroups of MRAs, the telomerase activity and cytological examination demonstrated a sensitivity of 81.3% and 56.3%, respectively, in peritoneal carcinomatosis and a sensitivity of 66.7% and 11.1%, respectively, in HCC-associated ascites. In conclusion, telomerase activity is a more sensitive marker than cytological examination for differentiating between MRAs and NMAs. It may also serve as a useful indicator for detecting early i.p. metastasis in HCC-associated ascites.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. L. Hess and W. E. Highsmith Jr Telomerase Detection in Body Fluids Clin. Chem., January 1, 2002; 48(1): 18 - 24. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]